Hello B-GLAD Subscribers: 

Happy April! This monthly e-news is for April 2022. We are here to keep you informed about what is going on with our services, Deaf news, COVID-19 information, and other breaking news. You do not want miss it!

This month, we started in-person appointments on Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we continue to provide services on videophone (VP) and e-mail. Please understand that you MUST have an appointment. It is required to enter the B-GLAD office. Also, a mask is required. Why? COVID-19 still active. We are seeing a new infection called "Omicron BA.2" which is now dominantly spreading across the county.

We encourage everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccinations because it helps to slow down the spread of new strains and prevents the virus from changing and becoming a new strain.

Have you noticed the weather has been acting weird lately? The temperature has changed suddenly because Spring began two weeks ago on March 20 and will continue to June 21 when Summer begins. Enjoy the time!

Did you know that the Senate approved a proposal for U. S. Daylight Savings Time (abbreviate DST) to be permanent? Yes! The new change means we will stop changing the time in the Fall (1-hour back) and Spring (1-hour forward). However, the proposal still needs President Biden’s approval. Once Biden approves & signs the proposal it will become a new law and we will not have to change the time anymore!

This month has three special religious holy events. Ramadan starts on April 2, Passover starts on April 15, and Easter happens on April 17. If you want to learn more about the 3 events, please see the links below.

Ramadan: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/ramadan 
Passover: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/passover 
Easter: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter 

Same as Tax Day on April 15. In 1962, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson “Father of Earth Day” started to encourage people to take care of our environment and planet. Senator Nelson asked President John F. Kennedy to tour the country regarding environmental concerns. Sadly, not enough people wanted change. In 1970, Senator Nelson proposed National Earth Day on April 22. The timing was perfect because many people realized they wanted change and needed to support it. That day approximately 20 million people showed up to protest in the street against dangerous environmental activities. That effort made lasting impact. Now more people know that our planet is lacking in resources. The things we put in the air, in the water, and on the land impact our planet. We must value our planet because we have only one EARTH.

April is also special month because it's Deaf History. Yay! Men named Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc brought American Sign Language to the U.S. In 1817, the two of them established the first Deaf school in Connecticut. In 1880, many educators from all over the world gathered in Milan, Italy to discuss discontinuing the use of ASL in schools. All of them voted in support because they wanted to continue the oral method and ban ASL. Then U.S. opposed and continued using ASL. Whew! We almost lost ASL!

In 1955, a man named William Stokoe, a Gallaudet English Professor studied in ASL. He realized ASL is a real language and not made-up. Today, we know ASL is complex just like other languages. Currently, we are seeing more Deaf people showing up. Recently, movie actor Troy Kotsur won an Oscar Award for "Actor in a Supporting Role" for the movie CODA. If you have not seen it, please go! You will love it!